San Andreas: Multiplayer is an unofficial patch that allows Grand Theft Auto fans to play with friends and opponents. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, released in 2004 and 2005 on various platforms, was not intended to have multiplayer capabilities by the publishers and developers: this fix side-steps that issue, bringing players together without the need for buying expensive new games.

GTA: San Andreas should not be confused with the fault line in California, or the movie based on the rupture of said fault-line. Instead, the game is based in the fictional US state of San Andreas (which draws heavily on Nevada and California for inspiration!), and the three major towns of that state: Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas. The cities are based on, respectively: Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas. The third-person game follows the exploits of Carl CJ Johnson who returns to Los Santos after his mother is killed. CJ re-establishes contact with his friends, touches base with old gang affiliates and works his way to the bottom of his mother's murder as the game plays out. The events in the game are largely based on real life issues: the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the fierce feud between the Bloods and the Crips, and the corrupt-cop LAPD Rampart Scandal of the late 1990s.

The game won acclaim for the tight storyline, great soundtrack and gameplay, even as it was decried for the acceptance of the violence and inappropriate sexual behaviour featured in the game, including a hidden sexual mini-game unlocked by a patch called the 'Hot Coffee mod'. The player can play solo or with one friend in the original version of the game, but the characters must stay close to one another in order to both be on screen simultaneously.

With the multiplayer mod, many players get together online to play the game, online via LAN or over the Internet. The mod also includes some customisable features and effects like siren noises for police cars and control over vehicle doors. The mod is upgraded fairly often, working through any reported issues and making improvements to the playing experience.

Pros

Enables players to play GTA: San Andreas online against friends or opponents in other parts of the world